Credit: The Associated Press

An advertisement poster of a smiling woman with bright pink lips in blackface makeup holding a doughnut is seen on a Skytrain, a commuter train in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. A leading human rights group has called on Dunkin' Donuts to withdraw the "bizarre and racist" advertisement for chocolate doughnuts in Thailand. The Dunkin' Donuts franchise in Thailand launched a campaign earlier this month for its new "Charcoal Donut" featuring the image, which is reminiscent of 19th and early 20th century American stereotypes for black people that are now considered offensive symbols of a racist era. (AP Photo/Grant Peck)

BANGKOK — Dunkin' Donuts has apologized for the "insensitivity" of an advertising campaign in Thailand featuring a woman in blackface makeup to promote a new chocolate flavored doughnut.

The Dunkin' Donuts franchise in Thailand came under criticism Friday after Human Rights Watch called the advertisements "bizarre and racist."

The company's chief executive in Thailand initially defended the campaign, but the U.S. headquarters quickly followed up with an apology.